Not Alone
by Veronica Barton
Summary: KateSawyer fic based on the preview for "Confidence Man" - together they are not alone


The following fanfic involves characters owned by brilliant JJ Abrams. My short story is based on the preview for next weeks episode, so beware of brief SPOILERS, but nothing more than what we saw, basically it's a brief spin-off. _Sawyer's thoughts are in Italics_. So, have fun and Review!!!

Not Alone

By Agentlana

So there he sits, well slumps, awkwardly with his hands tied behind his back. And while his warm blue blood runs down his sweaty unshaven face, he can't help but inwardly laugh at how familiar this scene is. After all, it was a similar scene that led him to Australia in the first place and consequently to this God-forsaken island and at the mercy of these emotionally fragile strangers.

_Way to go Sawyer, brilliant, you really have a gift for ticking off the wrong guys! So much for trying to keep to yourself, that never pays off, looking out for number one only gets one person beat to a bloody pulp... and that's you, you idiot! _

He silently finishes berating himself in time to hear Jack's new threat, "We gave you a chance to do the right thing; it doesn't have to be this way."

_Humph, stupid_, "Yeah it does" he replies with a resolved smart a$$ tone then braces himself for another blow.

As the beating begins again he thinks to himself, _for a doctor this guy sure is good at hurting people._

Fist.

One.

Jaw.

Two.

Pain.

Three.

Blood.

Four.

Escape.

Five.

Chloe.

Six.

Birthday.

Seven.

Dau...

"STOP!!!"

_What?_

"Please stop, please!"

_That voice, I know that voice, sounds nicer than usual, open your eyes you wimp._

"Kate, what are you doing here? Go back to camp, we're handling this," says Sayid in a very militant voice. _Interesting_.

But Sawyer's attention isn't on Sayid's newly emerged dictator side, no he is focused on the strongest and most stubborn woman he has ever met who is currently trembling in desperation and what he can only define as fear. And if he is not mistaken, that fear is for his safety. _VERY Interesting. This island may not be so boring after all._

"What?" Jack is clearly confused and stands dumbfounded as he watches Kate slowly approach Sawyer and kneel down before him.

The silence becomes deafening and all the men are frozen in shock as they watch Kate lean in and tenderly kiss Sawyer on the lips.

His first response is to close his eyes in due to the intensity of the moment, there is heat here and he can feel it, she is practically a furnace engulfing him in her flames. But he resists temptation and opens his eyes to prove to himself that this is actually happening; when he does, to his surprise, he finds her eyes starring back at him.

He always thought that all that romantic "eyes are the window to the soul" crap was just that, smelly s#!. But as he stares into Kate's crystal clear eyes he sees it all, and it is anything but pity. It is a past, a past of pain and loss, she understands him somehow, knows he needs salvation, and knows she is the only one who can give it.

For a moment the shutters are thrown open and he is allowed to gaze freely into the depths of her soul, and a feeling of vulnerability washes over him as he realizes that he has just done the same; she has seen into his endless abyss. He inwardly panics, _does she see it all?_

He doesn't have long to debate because just as soon as the moment arrives it flees, she closes the blinds and seals the deal.

As she pulls away, she breathes two words, "the inhaler," making it sound more for her own need instead of Shannon.

_What did she say? Does she seriously expect me to respond after that!?! _

He seems to have temporarily lost a few of his five senses since sight and touch were working overtime, but he quickly recovers and begins to over-analyze the situation.

_She didn't do that for inhalers, she could have done that to begin with; no, she did that for me. She did that to save me. Hell_.

"In the black case in the tent, under the crate."

It was so simple, yet that was all it took -- the simple act of affection to achieve what two men using brute force could not. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

The men are left speechless as Kate retreats into the jungle with increasing speed. She vanishes into the green chaotic thickness; her sobs and the rapid pounding of her feet can be heard as she moves further away.

The men are stoically speechless until she is no longer heard, then when nature seems to right herself, and the universe realigns, Sayid releases Sawyer from his restraints and they each make their way back to the beach – very slowly.

By the time they reach the crash site, the sun is setting fast making for a majestic finale to an ugly and upsetting day.

Jack tends to Sawyers wounds before gathering the precious inhalers and leaving Sawyer resting and reliving the day's events before drifting off to a restless sleep in the tent on the beach.

He dreams of the past, of a sandy-haired, blue-eyed girl named Chloe; in his mind and heart, she is immortally five years old. He dreams of the present, of a freckle-faced, raven-haired woman named Kate; in his mind she is everything he always dreamed of but could never deserve in reality. He dreams of the future, of all three of them together, on this island, this paradise. But the monsters come, thrashing down trees and swooping away the two things that have a hold of his hard heart. They take it with them, his heart, and he is left on the beach, alone, watching the waves crash on the shore.

That's what he hears first, he always hears them first, the waves, but the sound is comforting; it reminds him of home. Second, he feels the warm breeze tickling his bare chest and rustling his unruly hair. Last, but not least, he smells the salty air, and the smoke from the signal fire, and her.

_Wait. I smell her. I feel her near. Work eyes, open up! _

Once he pries his eyes open they confirm what he already knew, she is sitting next to him. Even though she looks like she's been to Hell and back he still thinks she is the most beautiful creature he has ever seen, well second most beautiful. Despite her tear streaked face covered in scratches and the obvious lack of sleep and the extra dirt and grime from a night roaming the jungle, the early morning sun blends her freckles, highlights her hair, and makes her glistening eyes sparkle.

_Pull it together you hick, she doesn't want sonnets from you._

"Hey freckles, you lost?"

_Might as well try to make her feel less awkward, I mean she won't appreciate it but at least maybe she won't run away before I get some answers. Be a jerk Sawyer, that will keep her engaged for at least 3 minutes! _

Much to his surprise and delight his little "ice-breaker" earns him a smirk and stifled snicker. He would be pleased if he wasn't so busy trying to figure out why on earth this woman is sitting beside him looking more lost than 47 survivors of a plane crash on an uncharted island. After a few moments he doesn't have to wonder anymore. She begins to speak, and he wouldn't interrupt her for all the conviences of the modern world.

"When I asked you what you wanted for the inhalers and you said a kiss, and then you asked why I hated you so much, you wanted to know what you didn't have that Jack did, if you just weren't my type. I said something, I don't know what, I'm sure it was something smart a$$ and sharp. But the truth is that, well..."

_Yes? _

"You **_are_** my type, you're just like him, you're just like Jason... and I hate you for that, I hate that you remind me of him, I hate that I am drawn to you, but most of all I hate that you were beaten because of something I **_didn't_** do."

_Jason? Who is Jason? Doesn't she mean Jack? _

"I watched the man I loved, lied for, lived for, die right in front of me, **_for_** me, _**because**_ of me, it was the most horrible... it haunts me... and whether or not you deserve it, or even if you **_are_** the biggest jerk on this island... never, I can never watch a man die like that again, not when I can do something about it, not when I can stop it."

"Sawyer, I don't know you, I don't know your past, I don't know why you are the way you are, but we're here and God only knows for how long, it may not always be easy but please, if there is anything decent or good in you, please don't let it get to that point again, because honestly... I won't survive that. We have to find a way to work together, or we'll all die together."

"I mean, after all... no man is an island right?"

He watches her physically take a deep breath as she finishes her painful monologue, and something inside him snaps; as she gets up to leave he looses control of his heart and tongue.

"Kate... you were right."

She turns around emotionally exhausted yet curious, "About what?"

"I don't want to leave this island, because I don't have anything to go back to, I lost someone too, my little girl, she died because of me, she depended on me, waited for me to save her... I couldn't..."

_That's it, that's all I can say, my throat is clogging up and the tears have started to flow, damn!_

In his pride and shame he looks away from her shocked and sympathetic face. He begins to shake as he tries to stop the sobs threatening to overtake his soul. He feels her soft, gentle hand touch his shoulder and when it is gone he counts to ten before looking back in her direction.

When he does, she is gone and he watches her walk down the beach away from the comfort of the crowd, and for the first time in a long time he doesn't feel so lost and alone.

THE END.

Please Review!!! What do you think? Even though I like the Jack/Kate ship, I think there is more to Sawyer, and I can't wait to find out what, like if he actually has a heart! I think JJ has the chance to do with Sawyer and Kate what he didn't capitalize on with Sydney and Sark, even if it ends tragically, there is something there!


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